For
more than two decades, public safety professionals have advocated for the
ability to quickly and accurately locate consumers who call 9-1-1 from wireless
devices. Today’s FCC action is a major step forward in this effort.

NENA:
The 9-1-1 Association, representing more than 8,000 local 9-1-1 leaders and
call takers, applauds FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, his fellow commissioners, and
the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau for their successful
leadership on this complex but critical issue.

Under
the new rules, wireless carriers will be required, for the first time, to use
the latest technology to identify the location of consumers who call 9-1-1,
even when calls are placed indoors. With its emphasis on identifying a caller’s
physical address, the new FCC policy will enable public safety professionals to
serve the public with greater speed, accuracy, and efficiency than ever before.

By
working together with wireless carriers, the public safety community has
succeeded in forging an agreement that will drive faster deployment of
higher-accuracy location technologies. The industry is to be commended for
committing to significant investments of time, talent, and capital in 9-1-1
location improvements.

NENA’s
members commend the FCC for its action today, which will benefit all who call
9-1-1 from a wireless device in their time of need.

NENA has received dozens of letters from chapter leaders
nationwide, from Maine to Alaska, voicing their support for today’s action.
These chapter officers, many with decades of public safety experience in 9-1-1,
as well as in police, fire, EMS, and emergency management, share NENA’s
appreciation for the strong leadership shown by the FCC on this issue and
applaud the carriers’ commitment to helping 9-1-1 better locate individuals
placing 9-1-1 calls from wireless devices.